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A friend of mine was getting married in northern California and I decided it was an excellent opportunity to skip winter for a few extra days and explore areas of my home state that I hadn’t seen- namely, Big Sur, Monterey and Carmel by the Sea. I looked a variety of hotels, and the Carmel Mission Inn stood out as more of the vibe I was looking for- colorful, comfortable and quintessentially California. It stood out from the rest, and I was very excited to spend some quality time in the sunshine during my stay!
The Carmel Mission Inn is a great stop along Highway 1, located between Monterey and Big Sur, the perfect stopping point. We chose this hotel because of it’s location, but also because it was close to a shopping center with some good foods, McIntyre Wines tasting room & a Safeway if you needed to pick up road trip supplies (which, I always do!).
This hotel is dog friendly and kid friendly- which turns out, is a rarity along Highway 1. Plus, it boasts some snappy room service and an on-site restaurant and bar, just incase you’re all tourist-ed out and want to just lounge in the room.
I loved the pool area, it was so bright and colorful! There’s also a cabana area with bright, comfy pillows and grey throws, to stay warm after the sun goes down. Complimentary floatie chaise lounges, dot the pool and you can dip in the jacuzzi. Honestly, this pool was awesome. Oh yes, there are two cow statues on site- meant to be conversation pieces, I think they’re effective.
Sitting by the water, enjoying the sunshine with the bright colors and comfortable cabanas was just the ticket to forget winter back home in Chicago…and trust, me, I really wanted to forget winter. I think the many wine tastings in the area and California sunshine helped facilitate that, but I digress….
The rooms were lovely, equipped with convenient reading lights, a comfy chair to lounge in, and very nice bathroom toiletries which included q-tips, cotton balls, lotion and bath robes. Yes, I go gaga for bathrobes in hotel rooms. When you’re on vacation, robes are a thing you should have. If you have a coffee maker or an ice bucket in your room- you should have a robe to match, because morning or evening- robes are fabulous.
The shower head as also really relaxing- I spent plenty of time primping for a day of sightseeing while in there, it had everything I needed…including a coffee maker. I cannot even try it with makeup until I have a good cup of coffee in the morning.
That thumbs up is about how I feel about these rooms. The balcony, the robe & the colors were up my alley!
So let’s just say you’d rather not relax in the room- there is plenty of open space to do that onsite. Gorgeous fireplaces are scattered throughout the property- in the lobby, the front patio and in the on-site restaurant. Honestly, it’s a place you’d want to come and stay awhile, as if the nearby ocean wasn’t enough to make you want to linger!
Sometimes, when winter really gets me d0wn here in Chicago, I paw through my photos of my stay at the Carmel Mission Inn. It’s a great value for the amount of amenities they offer, the staff were friendly and the location was unbeatable. While it’s kid and dog friendly, even without my furry family, I was super comfortable and hope to bring Matilda back someday so she can enjoy the sunshine!
A view from the patio of the Carmel Mission Inn. I miss it already.
Thank you to the Carmel Mission Inn for having me as a guest. I loved my stay and it is easily one of my favorite happy places- full of color, sunshine, fun local activities and comfort. I cannot wait to come back and explore again!
